Key Development: Surveillance of Infections Linked to the Novel Coronavirus

The WHO report on the international situation as of October 29, 2013, reports 145 cases (including 62 deaths) since April 2012 across 9 countries: Germany: 2 cases (1 death), Saudi Arabia: 121 cases (51 deaths), United Arab Emirates: 5 cases (1 death), France: 2 cases (1 death), Italy: 1 case, Jordan: 2 cases (2 deaths), Qatar: 5 cases (2 deaths), United Kingdom: 4 cases (3 deaths), Tunisia: 3 cases (1 death). In France, 347 reports were filed, and a total of 94 cases were classified as possible, of which 2 were confirmed (including 1 death). Following the return from the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, an increase in suspected cases could be observed in France. Any suspected case must be reported by the clinician to the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Health Agency (ARS) by phone at 0820 22 61 01. The ARS then forwards the report to the Cire (or its on-call service outside of business hours). The Cire/InVS epidemiologist then classifies the case as a possible case if it meets the case definition or as an excluded case. This classification is communicated directly by the epidemiologist to the hospital department, to the ARS via email or telephone, and to the national InVS and the CNR. The national procedure stipulates that when a case is excluded, specific samples for MERS-CoV testing are not recommended for national surveillance purposes. When a case is classified as a possible case by the InVS, the samples are sent to the relevant CNR (the CNR processes only samples from cases classified as possible cases by the InVS). For Midi-Pyrénées, this is the CNR in Lyon. Recently, a list of regional laboratories has been compiled so that they may be authorized to conduct MERS testing on possible cases. The virology laboratory at the Toulouse University Hospital is included on this list. If a sample tests positive at an authorized regional laboratory, the specimens will still be sent to the CNR for confirmation and viral isolation.